Revolution 2-0 Crew: Goncalves' Stoppage Time Goal Salvages Win

For the entire ninety minutes, there wasn't even a remote chance that anyone was scoring a goal tonight. With only a handful of chances in the entire match, and just five total shots on goal, a scoreless draw would have certainly been a deserved result.

But Dimitry Imbongo earned a corner in stoppage time, firing a shot towards Andy Gruenebaum's near post and Lee Nguyen put the ensuing cross into the penalty area. Jose Goncalves connected with the ball at the top of the six and headed home past a sprawling Gruenebaum, who might have been distracted by AJ Soares' effort to redirect the ball right in front of him. Columbus did not have a defender covering the far post on the corner.

The Revs would add a second goal minutes later, as Lee Nguyen, latched on to a poor pass from the Crew's Chad Marshall and hit a wide open Diego Fagundez who sealed the game, slotting home past Gruenebaum.

For the Revs, the win ends a two game losing streak and moves them four points clear of Columbus in the Eastern Conference standings. The Revs still trail Houston by two points, and the Dynamo have a game in hand.

It is fitting that Goncalves would score the winning goal, especially after his game to forget in Colorado. After picking up his first yellow card of the season and committing what would be the winning own goal, Goncalves answered with one of his best games of the year. For the Revs defense as a whole, it was another banner performance, as they blocked nine shots in front of keeper Bobby Shuttleworth, who only had to make two routine saves as he notched his league-tying eighth shutout of the season.

After an uninspiring first half, filled with more chippy banter and fouls than actual soccer, the team settled into the match, but there was never any real attacking threat. It wasn't until Jay Heaps went to his bench and inserted two regular starters, Lee Nguyen and Diego Fagundez that the Revs started to put some continuous pressure on the Crew defense. Coming off the bench, Lee Nguyen notched both assists, his fourth and fifth of year, for his second multi-assist game while Fagundez scored his sixth MLS goal of the year.

Fagundez had a dangerous run in the 87th minute, only to be stuffed by a good challenge in the box. Minutes later, Columbus would respond, as Ben Speas fired wide from the top of the box after collecting a blocked shot. But no one could have imagined the finish to such a listless game.

The Revs will finish their current road trip at DC United next Saturday, July 27th at 7:00 PM.